Year 4 Shake, Rattle and Roll

Year 4 have been exploring the fascinating world of tectonic plates in their geography topic, ‘How does the Earth shake, rattle and roll?’

Through a range of exciting, hands-on investigations, pupils have been discovering how the Earth’s movements shape our planet.

An Oreo cookie investigation helped them to model different types of tectonic plate movement, while a STEM challenge using marshmallows, straws and spaghetti encouraged them to design and build structures capable of withstanding earthquakes. Their favourite bit was testing the strength of their designs on wobble cushions.

They also enjoyed a lesson with Mrs Hope and Mr Blackie from the Truro School Geology Department, who treated Year 4 to an inspiring earthquake workshop.

After learning how energy travels through the Earth and how earthquakes can be detected, the children were excited to be able to use Slinkies to simulate P-waves and S-waves. They also learnt about seismometers and worked in small groups using a pencil, paper and a shaking table to make their own graphs.

There was no end to the excitement when a Lego seismometer was produced, and the children were allowed to jump up and down to produce recordings which they were able to see on the whiteboard.

These practical experiences have sparked curiosity, encouraged creative problem-solving and brought the science behind earthquakes to life.

Thank you to Mrs Luxton for the brilliant write-up and photos.